Mango tilapia

Sarotherodon galilaeus

Sarotherodon galilaeus is a species of fish from the family of cichlids ( Cichlidae ), which is very widespread with five subspecies in North, West and Central Africa and is also found in the Middle East.

Features

Sarotherodon galilaeus is 13 to 30 inches long depending on the subspecies and has a very high-backed, laterally flattened body. The head takes up almost a third of the standard length. The gill arches are covered with numerous gills Reuse rays ( about 20 on the lower branch of the first gill arch ). The fish are usually silbig - gray to blue- gray in color, with lighter bellies and bluish or gray fins. The pages can be equipped with dark bands. The various subspecies and populations of large distribution area show quite different colorings and different body relations.

Way of life

Juveniles of Sarotherodon galilaeus live in small flocks near the shore, adult animals in more open water in the breeding season but also territorially near the shore or on the water bottom. Sarotherodon galilaeus feeds mainly on algae and detritus. Like all Sarotherodon species are mouth brooders. Both the females and the males keep the eggs in the mouth.

Subspecies and distribution

• Sarotherodon galilaeus borkuanus, ( Pellegrin, 1919); 13.0 cm, in the Sahara oases in northern Chad (Region Borkou - Ennedi Tibesti );

• Sarotherodon galilaeus boulengeri, ( Pellegrin, 1903); 16.0 cm, in the lower and middle Congo Matadi to pool Malebo and in the lower Kasai, introduced in the lower Ogooué in Gabon;

• Sarotherodon galilaeus galilaeus (Linnaeus, 1758); 34.0 cm, Africa and the Middle East, Jordan, coastal rivers of Israel, basin of the Nile, Lake Albert, Lake Turkana, Ubangi and Uele, central Congo Basin, West Africa (Senegal, Gambia, Casamance, Konkouré, Niger, Volta, Mono, Ouémé, Ogun, Cross River, Benue, Ejagham Lake, Logone, Chari and Chad ), Morocco ( Wadi Draa );

• Sarotherodon galilaeus multifasciatus, ( Günther, 1903); 13.7 cm, Ivory Coast ( Sassandra, Bandama and Comoé ) and western Ghana ( Tano and Bosumtwisee );

• Sarotherodon galilaeus sanagaensis, ( Thys van den Audenaerde, 1966); 13.1 cm Sanaga and Nyong (Cameroon );